Airbus has awarded Honeywell a contract worth up to $20 million
to supply the ozone converters for the A380. The device decomposes
ozone gas-a health hazard-to purify the incoming air supply to the
air-conditioning system. Each A380 will use four converters. The
deal marks the tenth subcontract Honeywell has won on Airbus's next-generation
airliner. Others include the satcom, pneumatic systems for the engines
and flight management system.
Better Bondo for Jets from Lufthansa
Lufthansa Technik Intercoat has released two new epoxy-repair
products- Interfill-2 and Interfill-3-that are suited to a wider
range of materials than its established Interfill-1. Like a high-tech
version of Bondo-beloved alike of shade-tree auto restorers and
Billy Bob's Reliable Used Vehicles-Interfill is used to restore
surfaces that have been damaged, worn or corroded, making it possible
to reuse rather than scrapping them. The new products open up a
much broader range of potential applications in more demanding environments.
Lufthansa Technik Intercoat is majority-owned by Lufthansa Technik,
and the University of Lubeck.
Man's Best Friend
Boeing and its partners installed more than 7,000 explosives screening
devices at 442 U.S. airports and trained 21,000 people to use them,
but they are not the best available defense against bombs, says
Boeing VP for homeland security John Stammreich. "The best
screener that we have is a dog," he says. "The most advanced
machines will find a certain percentage of explosives. Dogs find
them all." Many airports, he says, are using a combination
of automated scanners and dogs to detect explosives.
Stéphane Mayer Named Socata's president and CEO
Stéphane Mayer has been appointed president and CEO of EADS
Socata. Mayer succeeds Philippe Debrun, and will take over responsibilities
of senior EVP Jean-François Trassard, who will also leave
the company. Mayer was formerly the internal auditor for the Lagardère
Group (Matra Hachette) and a member of the board of Matra Automobiles.
New President for NBAA
On June 24 Shelly Longmuir will replace of John W 'Jack' Olcott
as president of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA.)
The NBAA Board of Directors chose Longmuir for her experience in
working on regulatory affairs with the U.S. government and United
Airlines, where she led a team of more than 50 attorneys, economists,
and lobbyists. "NBAA's role is especially important today as
the industry grapples with the issues of security and access to
airports in the post-9/11 environment," NBAA Chairman George
Saling said. "Shelley's background and knowledge of the political
and regulatory arenas, as well as her extensive international experience,
will be great assets as we work together on these issues."
Northrop Grumman Names Missile Defense Executive
With missile defense becoming an ever more attractive business
area for defense companies, Northrop Grumman has decided to give
its efforts in the area more focus by naming a focal point to oversee
the operations.Donald C Winter, corporate VP for the mission systems
sector, will also fill the new post as lead executive for missile
defense. A 30-year veteran of the company with extensive experience
managing research and development into laser technology, Winter
will be the primary connection to the Pentagon's Missile Defense
Agency that spends more than $7 billion a year. Northrop Grumman's
acquisition of TRW's defense business has boosted its missile defense
involvement, with projects such as the Boeing 747-mounted Airborne
Laser-slated for a first shoot-down attempt late next year-and ballistic
missile tracking satellites. Northrop Grumman also leads one of
the teams competing for the Pentagon's kinetic energy boost-phase
interceptor program.
Pakistan International Initiates Electronic Flight Bag Use
Pakistan International will start using an electronic flight bag
system on three new Boeing 777s. The Jeppesen-built device replaces
paper documents such as aeronautical charts, manuals for fault reporting
and logbooks with an electronic system. The feature also provides
a weight-and-balance calculator to maximize the payload capacity
of an aircraft. Boeing, Jeppesen and display provider Astronautics
Corporation of America will develop the proper system configuration.
The first of the electronic flight bag-equipped 777s is scheduled
for delivery in January. Pakistan International Airlines has eight
777s on order, three 200ERs, two 200LRs and three 300ERs.
Raytheon Details Team for New RAF Bomb
Following last week's decision by the UK Ministry of Defence to
adopt Raytheon's Paveway IV to meet the RAF's Precision Guided Bomb
requirement, Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) has confirmed the contractor
team that will build the new weapon. It includes: Lockheed Martin
Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando (design authority for 500 lb
warhead); MBM Technology, Brighton (mechanical and electrical interface);
Portsmouth Aviation Limited (tail unit, transport containers); Thales
Missile Electronics (multi-event hard target fuse); QinetiQ (environmental,
performance and safety testing/qualification); and SEI, Sardinia
(Mk 82 warhead manufacture). In addition to the baseline bomb configuration,
the option exists to fit the LongShot range-extension wing kit (developed
by Leigh AeroSystems and now under the control of Lockheed Martin).
MBM can also supply its Raider smart multiple stores carrier as
another future growth option.
Polish Institute, Boeing Team for Anti-Missile Shield Work
In a further expansion of Boeing's international missile defense
ties, the U.S. aerospace giant has teamed with Poland's Przemyslowy
Instytut Telekomunikacji to work on a regional missile defense architecture.
The Pentagon last year gave the green light to U.S. companies to
expand international cooperation in the emerging missile defense
field. The memorandum of understanding with PIT "represents
another important step in global cooperation that is critical for
the future security of our nations, military forces, and allies,"
said James Evatt, Boeing's senior VP for missile defense systems.
The Polish institute will provide expertise in radar command and
control, noted PIT's managing director, Roman Dufrene.
PPG Windshields Out in Front at Airbus
Airbus has selected PPG Aerospace Transparencies as the supplier
for the main windshields of all its single-aisle jets, from A318
to the A321. All those aircraft will be delivered with PPG windshields
as standard except at the specific request of a customer. Since
1990, PPG's plant in Huntsville, Alabama, has shipped 15,000 cockpit
windows for Airbus applications. As well as being standard equipment
on the A320 and its single-aisle siblings, PPG windshields and side
windows are optional on Airbus twin-aisle aircraft and are also
qualified as replacements.
U.S. Air Force C-17 Orders Sustain P&W PW2000 Engine
U.S. Air Force C-17 orders are continuing to sustain production
of the Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engine, which powers both the
C-17 and Boeing's modest-selling 757 twinjet. Pratt & Whitney
has been awarded a $1.4 billion contract to deliver 240 F117-PW-100
engines-military designation of the PW2000-for the latest batch
of 60 C-17s. The engines will be delivered between 2004 and 2007.
The F117 on the C-17 has a unique thrust reverser system, which
can be deployed in flight for steep tactical descents and is designed
so that the airplane can back up under its own power without generating
a cloud of damaging debris. In both Afghanistan and Iraq, C-17s
have been used routinely for operations into unprepared or very
small airfields where its on-ground agility is crucial. The USAF
is considering a Boeing proposal to build 42 more C-17s, bringing
total production to 222 aircraft. These would probably be acquired
with funds currently earmarked for the re-engining of early production
Lockheed C-5s.
Qatar Airways Brings Big Fleet Buy
The CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, is coming to Paris this
week to unveil a substantial new order for large airliners from
Airbus and Boeing. Qatar is expected to announce a combined order
for 25 or 30 long-range aircraft including A330s, A340-600s and
777s. The airline says that the Paris order will substantially increase
its fleet and that the new aircraft are needed to serve its intended
new routes, including services to the U.S., from 2005 onwards. Qatar
Airways has established a sizeable presence at this year's Paris
show with chalet space and aircraft on display in the shape of a
new A300.
Rafaut Raises Rafale's Load-Out
Dassault Rafale C101, in the static exhibit, carries six 500-pound-class
Sagem Armament Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) guided bombs on newly developed
triple ejector racks. The triple carriers are built by Rafaut, a
family-owned supplier located on the outskirts of Paris, and feature
pneumatic ejectors rather than pyrotechnics-eliminating cartridges
from the logistics chain. The ejection actuators can be pressurized
before the mission by built-in, electrically powered high-pressure
pure air generator (HiPPAG) units supplied by Ultra Electronics.
Five-Foot Rat Sighted in Exhibit Hall
Hamilton Sundstrand's exhibit includes the first artist's concept
of the ram-air turbine (RAT) that the company is building for the
Airbus A380. It's the biggest such unit ever designed. With a 62.5
in diameter two-blade propeller and a peak output of 85 hp, it is
almost twice the size of the RATs that the company builds for the
A330 and A340. On the A380 the RAT will provide electrical power
for the back-up electro-hydraulic flight control actuators and other
vital systems in the event of complete engine failure. RATs have
saved airplanes on a number of occasions, including incidents where
the engines have become full of volcanic ash (British Airways 747,
South Pacific) or when fuel tanks have become filled with air (Air
Canada 767, Gimli, Manitoba). Note for Sherlock Holmes fans: Hamilton
Sundstrand has no plans to produce the A380 unit in Sumatra.
Japan Selects RTM322 for EH101s
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines have been selected by the
Japan Defense Agency (JDA) to power the EH101 helicopters selected
for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF). Following the
contract negotiations, JDA is expected to order 14 EH101s, each
powered by three RTM322 Mk 250s similar to those fitted to the UK's
Royal Air Force Merlin HC Mk 3 fleet. These engines also power the
British Army's Apache AH Mk 1 helicopters. Portugal and Denmark
have chosen RTM322 for their EH101 buys. The same engine also power
the NH 90 which will be fielded by Germany, France, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Finland, Sweden and Norway.
Swiss Carve Holes in More Than Cheese
RUAG Aerospace in Emmen, Switzerland, is promoting its expertise
as a supplier of very large machined components for airplane structures.
The former Swiss Federal Aircraft Factory became part of the RUAG
Suisse Group in 1999. Since then, it has invested in top-end high-speed
machining (HSM) equipment, including a Henri Liné five-axis,
two-spindle machine capable of milling parts up to 33 ft long. Current
HSM machines have cutting heads that spin at up to 30,000 rpm, allowing
them to make deeper and faster cuts and to machine larger components.
RUAG has produced a complete HSM fuselage frame for a wide-body
aircraft, while Airbus is using HSM to produce one-piece ribs for
the A380's wing.
